Gas-to-liquid and liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers have numerous applications. For example, in vehicles, gas-to-liquid heat exchangers can be used to cool compressed charge air in turbocharged internal combustion engines or in fuel cell engines. Gas-to-liquid heat exchangers can also be used to cool hot engine exhaust gases. Liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers may be used for transmission oil cooling and/or engine oil cooling applications as well.
Various constructions of gas-to-liquid or liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers are known. For example, it is known to construct heat exchangers comprised of two or more concentric tubes, with the annular spaces between adjacent tubes serving as fluid flow passages. Corrugated fins are typically provided in the flow passages to enhance heat transfer and, in some cases, to join together the tube layers. It is also known to construct heat exchangers comprising a core constructed from stacks of tubular members or plates or plate pairs which provide alternating fluid flow passages (e.g. gas-to-liquid or liquid-to-liquid) for heat transfer between the two different fluids flowing through the alternating passages. In instances where the heat exchanger is formed as a multi-pass heat exchanger, the fluid flowing through the fluid flow passages switch-backs through 90 degree turns in order to travel through the various stages or passes of the heat exchanger.
Each specific application, whether it is a gas-to-liquid or liquid-to-liquid application, has its own heat exchanger requirements as well as space constraints and/or packaging requirements. It has been found that providing a conical-shaped heat exchanger for certain applications can result in desired heat exchange requirements as well as achieve certain space/packaging restrictions.